Year End Recap: Advice for Making it in Theatre from BWW Interviews

It has been an amazing year for Canadian Theatre, one in which we have seen many great productions come and go. We have been blessed with wonderful touring productions but also a lot of original Canadian productions and casts, and BWW has had the chance to interview some people involved over the course of the year.  As we reflect back on the year that was, it becomes important to look ahead to what the future might hold.  Perhaps one of the most exciting things in Canadian musical theatre in 2009 was the amount of break-out performances we saw and the stars-in-the-making that developed as a result of those performances.  With the economy still struggling to recover, it is becoming increasingly important to not let the arts fall to the wayside, and these performers show (through their dedication) that the arts are still very much alive and well in Canada.

Since so many BWW readers aspire to one day break into musical theatre themselves, we have been asking for advice from a lot of the up and comers, and compiling some of the best tidbits for how to break into musical theatre.  To start off the New Year, here is a compilation of some of the best tips that we heard throughout the course of 2009:

Tony LePage played the lead role in the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Ben Elton musical Boys in the Photograph in 2009. Tony had the opportunity to originate the role of John Kelly in this musical that started out in the UK, had a great run in Manitoba and then was a hit in Toronto. His tip:

I would have to say tenacity and patience are two very good qualities to have as a Canadian musical theatre performer.  You need to be tenacious and get out there and keep trying your best and you also need to be patient.  Toronto isn't New York but nowhere is.  The Mirvish's do an amazing job and there are so many other great regional theatre companies.  Places like CanStage and many others are doing a great job of keeping Canadian theatre alive.  And it is that combination of tenacity and patience that will help someone, you just need to keep pushing and understand that sometimes it will happen and sometimes it won't.

Tony's co-star for Boys in the Photograph was Erica Peck, who got her first big break with the Ben Elton hit We Will Rock You. She followed an almost three year run with that production with the lead female role in "Boys." Her virtual overnight success was not as easy as it may seem to some, which is reflected in her advice for people trying to break into the business:

My advice has always been to never accept no for an answer. It is so easy to get discouraged or go to an audition and have it not go as well as you hoped. And I know that can sound trite coming from someone so young who already has a lead in a show but it really is true. Everybody in their life has had one door close and another open, so you really can't ever give up. Even if it seems lame you have to believe in yourself and keep going.

Brittany Gray, star of The Toxic Avenger in Toronto, gave a bit of a different take on the advice piece. For her, it was more about finding your strengths and weaknesses and honing your skills:

The best advice that I have is to be very aware of what your weaknesses are and work very hard on them. That worked really well for me. It is important to know your strengths but even more so to know your weaknesses, and know them better. That way you can work on them and allow them to grow and gain strength. Once those are worked on you can focus on your strengths because that is your comfort zone, but often working on your weaknesses is where you can find a real gem. And of course, make sure to follow your heart, be honest with what your passions are and surround yourself with passionate and positive people who believe in your dream.

Elicia MacKenzie, currently starring in the Mirvish production of The Sound of Music and soon to headline the Canadian Cast of Rock of Ages, reiterated the perseverance piece:

To not give up. Always work hard and you will preserve. It just takes time and it takes that one great opportunity to come along, so never pass up an opportunity that comes along.

Another relative newcomer to the theatre scene is Lexi Lawson, currently starring as Mimi in the hit Broadway tour of Rent. Coming to Toronto January 12th, 2010 for a two week run, Lexi took some time to give us her advice for getting into the business. For those who don't know, Lexi gave up a spot as a finalist on Season 8 of American Idol to do the Rent tour, a decision a lot of people might not agree with but one that has worked out very well for her. Her advice?

Keep striving and keep on auditioning. It is really important to not be afraid of rejection, it doesn't mean they don't like you or that you aren't right, it may just mean you aren't right for right now. If you really want it, you need to keep going after it.

To cap it off, we have advice from a veteran stage and TV/film actor, who is in Toronto for a short period of time closing out the production of The Sound of Music. Simon Burke left La Cage Aux Folles in London England to come and do his first production in Canada, and right before beginning the role gave an interview for BWW where he was kind enough to share his insight on tips for success in the business:

The most important thing is that you have to approach your roles from the truth, that is the way to really get your anchor. Always go for the truth and that will help. If you are truthful you can be funny, if you are truthful you can break hearts, if you are truthful you can sing that top note effortlessly. The more I do, the more I realize how important being truthful really is.

In short, perseverance, tenacity, and hard work seem to be the traits that most of these people have in common.  However, with a New Year comes fresh starts, and what Mr. Burke said really resonates - in the end, truthfulness is so important.  Hard work and dedication are admirable traits, and when combined with a love for musical theatre and a dedication to truth and honesty, one can create the recipe for amazing success.

When and Where?

Many of the shows mentioned in this article are no longer playing, however you can still catch The Sound of Music at The Princess of Wales Theatre until Jan 10th. 

Rock of Ages is scheduled to begin performances at the Royal Alexandra Theatre April 20th

RENT: The Broadway Tour hits Toronto January 12, 2010

For more information on the above three shows please visit www.mirvish.com  Tickets are available for purchase online, as well as by calling TicketKing at 416-872-1212 or 1-800-461-3333

 

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